Scale Overview
The Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale – LIHS was developed by Szymanski, D. M., & Chung, Y. B. (2001). It is designed to measure Internalized Homophobia. The scale is intended for use with Lesbian women.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 8 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Uncertain, 5 = Slightly Agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 7. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Internalized Homophobia: 1 – 2
- Moderate Internalized Homophobia: 3 – 5
- High Internalized Homophobia: 5 – 7
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.